Department for Transport

Govia Thameslink Railway

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6266), whether they consider that the changes to the opening hours of ticketing offices proposed by Govia Thameslink Railway can be described as proposals to "improve the passenger experience at stations" in the light of proposals for reduced ticket office hours and the continuation of ticket machines; and whether they consider that the introduction of smaller seats and the removal of tea trolleys will also "improve the passenger service".

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) were awarded the franchise on the basis that they would make improvements to the passenger experience both on trains and at stations. Further to my written answer on 3 March, GTR are consulting on proposed changes to ticket office opening hours at some stations. As part of these proposals, GTR plan to introduce the role of ’Station Host’ who will be on duty for times in excess of the current ticket office opening hours. The Station Hosts will be there to provide customer assistance including help with ticket purchases and information provision.

Southeastern

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received in the last three years about the Go-Ahead Group and its operation of the Southeastern rail franchise in respect of (1) health and safety, (2) passenger satisfaction, and (3) responsiveness to customer complaints.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: With regard to health and safety, there has been some 20 representations from Honourable Members from the other place received by the Department for Transport, and one representation from a Noble Lord. Two Noble Lords representations and regular communication with Transport Focus have been received with regard to Passenger satisfaction and some half dozen representations with regard to customer complaints. However, most customer complaints are resolved by Transport Focus and London TravelWatch as the official independent watchdogs for rail passengers. In the same time period, there has been approximately 120 concerns raised directly by members of the public to the Department for Transport.

Southeastern

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings they have had in the last three years with the Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead Group about its operation of its Southeastern rail franchise in respect of (1) health and safety, (2) passenger satisfaction, and (3) responsiveness to customer complaints.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Senior officials meet with the Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead group on a quarterly basis to discuss the operation of all franchises under their control. Meetings discuss the overall performance of the franchises operated. Health and Safety for the industry is overseen by the Office of Rail and Road.

Southeastern

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they next plan to meet the Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead Group in order to discuss its Southeastern rail franchise and (1) health and safety, (2) passenger satisfaction, and (3) responsiveness to customer complaints.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Senior officials will continue to meet with the Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead group on a regular basis to discuss the performances of the franchises. The next meeting is on 21st March.

Driverless Vehicles

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any controls exist over the operation of unmanned ground vehicles (1) on highways, and (2) in other public spaces; whether controls exist over the use of such vehicles on pavements and other walkways, cycleways and bridleways; in the event of an accident or other event involving such a vehicle on a highway, who is responsible (a) for assessing responsibility, and (b) for paying any compensation that might be due; whether such vehicles must display information identifying the owner or controller; whether traffic police have any jurisdiction over such machines when being used on a highway; whether the police or other authorities have any powers to deal with such machines in the event of them causing a public nuisance; and whether insurance is required for the use of such machines.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All vehicles, including connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), must be used in line with UK road traffic law. Failure to comply with UK law may well result in enforcement agencies taking action. The Pathway to driverless cars: a regulatory review, published in February 2015, sets out how current laws apply to CAVs, and points to where the position is not clear and should be reviewed further. For example, chapter 13 deals with insurance, and Annex B looks at innovative personal transport. In addition, to secure the safe development and introduction of CAVs in the UK, the Pathway sets out a number of action points. The government is working on these, including having published the Code of Practice for testing automated vehicles in July 2015, to ensure that British citizens and businesses will benefit from CAVs in the short and long term.

Road Works: Greater London

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6554), whether they have assessed the impact of having red routes managed by Transport for London, rather than London boroughs; whether they are satisfied that the London Permit Scheme is not increasing delays and disruption; and whether current work on cycleways will be completed before the main tourist season starts.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has not carried out an assessment of the impact of having Transport for London (TfL), rather than the London Boroughs, managing the Transport for London Road Network (“red routes”), and has no intention of doing so. The London Permit Scheme and cycle superhighways are both matters for TfL. TfL has published a report evaluating the first year of the London Permit Scheme which suggests that it is having a positive impact. This report is titled ‘The London Permit Scheme, First Year Evaluation Report’ and is available on the TfL website. The construction timetable for the cycle superhighways is available via TfL’s website and summarised below:Cycle superhighway 1A10 Tottenham High Road: 6 July 2015 to spring 2016Pitfield Street (Boot Street to New North Road roundabout): 6 July 2015 to early 2016Apex Junction to Old Street/Great Eastern Street: 3 August 2015 to spring 2016 Cycle Superhighway 2 upgradeMile End Road and Bow Road between Harford Street and Harley Grove: February 2015 - November 2015Whitechapel Road between Osborn Street and Cambridge Heath Road: February 2015 - November 2015Mile End Road between Cambridge Heath Road and Harford Street: June 2015 - March 2016Bow Road between Harley Grove and Bow roundabout: July 2015 - March 2016Whitechapel High Street by Aldgate East station: September 2015 - April 2016 Cycle Superhighway East to WestLancaster Gate: April 2016 - October 2016Hyde Park: November 2015 - October 2016Hyde Park Corner: April 2015 - March 2016St James's Park and Green Park: June 2016 - October 2016Parliament Square/Westminster Bridge: October 2015 - May 2016Victoria Embankment: April 2015 - April 2016Blackfriars Underpass/Puddle Dock: September 2015 - April 2016Castle Baynard Street: November 2015 - May 2016Upper and Lower Thames Street: April 2015 - April 2016Tower Hill: October 2015 - April 2016  Cycle Superhighway East to WestBlackfriars Road: North of The Cut to Stamford Street: August 2015 - January 2016Blackfriars Road: South of The Cut: April 2015 - December 2015Blackfriars Bridge: January 2016 - February 2016Blackfriars Junction/Victoria Embankment: August 2015 - April 2016Farringdon Street: January 2016 - March 2016New Bridge Street/Ludgate Circus: November 2015 - April 2016

Cycleways: Greater London

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the London cycle superhighways (1) under construction, and (2) proposed and out for consultation, are being built on red routes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The London cycle superhighways are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL). TfL have provided the following information: Cycle superhighway RouteStatusTotal Length Length on Transport for London % on Transport for London   (miles)Road Network (“red routes”) (miles)Road Network (“red routes”)CS5iComplete0.870.87100%CS1Under Construction6.840.507%CS2UUnder Construction2.862.86100%CSNS Phase 1Under Construction1.621.4992%CSEW Phase 1Under Construction7.022.5536%CSNS Phase 2Consultation1.680.5633%CSEW Phase 2Consultation4.534.0489%CS11 Phase 1Consultation4.470.378%TotalN/A29.8913.2444%

Cycleways: Greater London

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the London Cycle superhighways on the number of cyclists.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: London’s cycle superhighways are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London and the Department has not made any assessment of their impact on the number of cyclists. In his press release of 19 November 2015, the Mayor stated that there had been a 29% increase in the total number of cyclists crossing Vauxhall Bridge in the busiest peak hour since the opening of the superhighway from Oval to Pimlico.

Cycleways: Greater London

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the London Cycle superhighways on the journey times of buses whose routes run parallel to or intersect with the highways.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: London’s cycle superhighways are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) and the Department has not made any assessment of the impact of their construction on the journey times of buses. At any time, different bus routes may be affected by delays and/or diversions as a result of construction works related to the cycle superhighway or other factors and TfL regularly updates the travel information on their website to reflect these changes.

Home Office

Slavery: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many child victims of modern slavery referred to the National Referral Mechanism have passed through Calais.

Lord Bates: National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data on the number of child victims of modern slavery who have passed through Calais is not specifically recorded. NRM data includes the location of exploitation and the location of where the potential victim was first encountered. Border Force will refuse entry to the UK for any child presenting at Calais where they have concerns about their welfare. Such children are referred to and placed in the care of the French authorities. These children are not referred into the NRM as they are not present in the UK. Care and support for children who are suspected of having been trafficked or enslaved, under these circumstances, would fall to the French Authorities.The UK has funded a project run by a French non-governmental organisation, France Terre D’Asile, to identify potential victims of trafficking and exploitation (including children) in the camps in Calais and to direct them to appropriate support services in France. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland, has been fully involved in the project by Terre D’Asile.

Human Trafficking: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Save the Children about identifying whether any of the unaccompanied children found at the "Jungle" camp in Calais were potential child victims of trafficking.

Lord Bates: The Home Secretary and French Interior Minister agreed in the UK-France Joint Declaration in August 2015 to set up a project to identify potential victims of trafficking (including children) in the Calais migrant camp and directs them to existing protection, support and advice within France. The project is being delivered by the French non-governmental organisation, France Terre D’Asile.The UK has contributed €750,000 (£530,000) to fund the project which formally launched in December 2015.

Asylum: France

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that take charge requests relating to the transfer of asylum claims from French to British authorities under the Dublin Regulations are processed quickly and efficiently.

Lord Bates: The UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015 committed the two governments to establishing a permanent official contact group focussed on ensuring that the provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively, including the provisions on family unity.As a result a Home Office official has recently been seconded to the Interior Ministry’s Dublin Unit in Paris in part to assist with the identification of potential requests for the UK to take charge of an asylum seeking child in France and to bring them into the Dublin Regulation procedure without delay.

Immigration

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in immigration cases, who decides whether a case is "exceptional".

Lord Bates: The decision as to whether a case is “exceptional”, according to the type of application and the circumstances of the case, will be made by an Immigration Officer, an Entry Clearance Officer, an official acting on behalf of the Secretary of State or a Minister.

Asylum: France

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the rationale behind their decision to appeal the judgment in R (on the application of ZAT and Others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Article 8 ECHR - Dublin Regulation - interface - proportionality) IJR [2016] UKUT 00061 (IAC).

Lord Bates: The Secretary of State for the Home Department’s (SSHD) rationale for appealing the judgment is that the Tribunal erred in law in making its decision. The Tribunal accepted that the issues in dispute in the case should be considered by the Court of Appeal and so granted the SSHD permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal on 29th January 2016.

Police: Finance

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice, Mr Mike Penning, on 17 December 2015 (HCWS426), when they will be able to provide further details on the allocation of the £38 million of New Transformation Funding to incentivise and facilitate transformation in policing, to invest in cross-force specialist capabilities, to exploit new technology and to improve how the UK responds to changing threats.

Lord Bates: The 2016/17 police funding settlement includes new transformation funding to incentivise and facilitate transformation in policing.As set out in the Minister for Policing, Fire, Criminal Justice and Victims’ Written Ministerial Statement of 4 February which accompanied the 2016/17 Final Police Grant Report, the indicative size of New Transformation Funding in 2016/17 is £37.8 million.Detailed plans are being developed and more information will be provided in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Thailand: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the conditions faced by Pakistani refugees who have been incarcerated in detention centres in Thailand, and (2) the allegations contained in the BBC World documentary Our World, broadcast on 27 February, that women and children are being held there, despite being UN-registered asylum seekers; and when they last discussed that situation with the UNHCR and the government of Thailand.

Earl of Courtown: We are concerned about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand. Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. Once any form of legal immigration status expires, refugees and asylum claimants can be deemed illegally in the country even if they have registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Nonetheless, we have pressed the Thai authorities to apply international humanitarian norms and standards when handling these vulnerable groups. We are also working with the Thai authorities to improve conditions of detention.

Turkey: Kurds

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about compensation for the inhabitants of Cizre whose close relatives have died, or whose property has been destroyed, as a result of government action.

Earl of Courtown: The situation in certain areas in south east Turkey is extremely concerning. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) continues to mount deadly attacks against the security forces. Our thoughts are with the victims and the civilians that have been caught up in the violence. The Turkish government has recently announced plans for reconstruction and assistance for those whose property has been damaged. We continue to call for the PKK to end its terrorist attacks and for the peace process to be resumed.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Construction: Industrial Health and Safety

Lord McKenzie of Luton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve health and safety risk management skills in the construction sector.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government’s role in Health and Safety is to set the framework in which companies have to operate. The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 sets out general duties that employers owe to their employees. This is supplemented by more tailored regulations embodying the requirement to assess risks and identify measures required to deal with them. These include the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015, which integrate health and safety into the management of construction projects throughout the entire supply chain. In addition to the general framework for health and safety law, the Health and Safety Executive regulates health and safety in hazardous industries, including construction, through the use of permissioning regimes. These regimes include those set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Safety requirements for the sector are established by construction employers and representative bodies. Many of the requirements are embedded in qualifications, training courses and basic health and safety tests required by the sector to obtain skills cards, such as the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. Courses such as the Site Supervisors’ Safety Training Scheme are endorsed by Build UK as the standard training for all supervisors working on member sites.

Department for International Development

World Humanitarian Summit

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 February (HL6190), when they will take the decision about who will represent them at the World Humanitarian Summit, and how that decision will be publicised.

Earl of Courtown: The decision will be taken closer to the Summit.

Ethiopia: Food Aid

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, and to what extent, they are working with other donor governments to address the current food shortages in Ethiopia.

Earl of Courtown: Britain is working closely with the Government of Ethiopia and the international community to ensure adequate funding for drought response activities. Britain’s overall funding for the drought to date is £113 million, making the UK the second largest donor.In December, the Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations launched an appeal for 2016 to fundraise $1.4 billion (~£923 million) to respond to the drought in Ethiopia. By the beginning of March, 53% of the required funds have been raised.DFID is an active participant in donor coordination fora in Ethiopia, including Ethiopia’s Development Assistance Group, and works closely with other donor governments to monitor the response and to lobby for support from the Government of Ethiopia and UN appeal.DFID Ministers have discussed the drought at the highest levels with the Government of Ethiopia. We have been working closely with the Ethiopian Government to support their leadership of the humanitarian response. To date, the Government of Ethiopia has allocated $381 million (~£269 million) to address the crisis.

Department for Education

Schools: Admissions

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 25 February (HL5719), whether an NGO can assist individual parents, or groups of parents, to challenge the fairness of the admission arrangements in their local school or schools through the adjudication process, including legally challenging the fairness of the adjudication process itself.

Lord Nash: There is nothing in school admissions legislation which would prevent a parent or group of parents from seeking the assistance of a non-government organisation in referring an objection to the Schools Adjudicator or in bringing a legal challenge about the adjudication process. Similarly, there is nothing in admissions legislation to prevent an organisation from providing such assistance.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many new school places will be required over the next ten years.

Lord Nash: Pupil forecasts based on Office for National Statistics population projections have been published to 2024 and they suggest that pupil numbers are due to rise significantly over that period. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient school places to meet that need, and for determining precisely how many new places are needed in their area. We allocate funding for new school places to local authorities three years in advance in order to balance the need for robust forecasts with the need to ensure certainty for local authorities over their future funding allocations. Supporting local authorities to create additional school places is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is signalled by this Government’s commitment to investing £23 billion by 2021 to create 600,000 new school places, open 500 new free schools and address essential maintenance needs.

Academies: Special Educational Needs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in the light of the concerns raised by the National Children’s Bureau that academy schools are refusing to take children with special needs in order to take pupils who are likely to get the best results.

Lord Nash: The School Admissions Code and equalities legislation prevents any school from taking account of a child’s SEN or disability in deciding whether to admit him or her. Children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities who do not have a statement of SEN or an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan which names a school, will apply to schools as mainstream applicants. In these circumstances, academies, like local authority maintained schools, are required to comply with the statutory School Admissions Code in applying their admission policies. Any parent whose application is refused has a right to appeal to an independent appeal panel and the School Admission Appeals Code requires the panel to uphold any appeals where a school has not applied its admission policy correctly. The panel’s decision is binding on the school. When a child has a statement of SEN or an EHC plan, naming a school, the law requires the school to admit the child (including if it is an academy). If an academy named in a pupil’s statement of SEN or EHC plan were to refuse to admit him or her, we would not hesitate to take action.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of identified violations of the School Admissions Code since 2012 related to failure to make clear how children with statements of special educational needs were admitted.

Lord Nash: Since 2012, there have been no objections upheld by the Schools Adjudicator against admission arrangements relating to the provisions in the School Admissions Code concerning children with statements of special educational needs.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the Chief Schools Adjudicator concerning the clarity of schools’ admission arrangements, and what steps they intend to take as a result.

Lord Nash: The Department is giving careful consideration to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s annual report for 2014-2015 as part of our current review of the School Admissions Code. We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they ensure that schools comply with their admission policies, and what action they take when a school is found to be admitting pupils in contravention of their admission policy.

Lord Nash: All state funded schools are required to comply with the statutory School Admissions Code when setting and applying their admission arrangements. Once admission arrangements have been determined, anyone who believes they are unfair or unlawful may make an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. When allocating places, admission authorities must ensure they do so strictly in accordance with their published admissions criteria. Any parent who is refused a place at a school for which they have applied has the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. If the panel finds that the school’s admission arrangements were unlawful and had not been applied properly in the individual’s case, the appeal must be upheld and the admission authority must admit the child.

English Baccalaureate

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce their response to the consultation Implementing the English Baccalaureate.

Lord Nash: The consultation closed on 29 January. We are currently considering the responses and will publish the Government response and final policy in due course.

Ministry of Justice

European Arrest Warrants

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many years’ worth in sentences have been handed out to offenders brought back to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many years’ worth in sentences have been handed out to offenders brought back to the UK from Spain under a European Arrest Warrant under Operation Captura.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average length of sentence of offenders sentenced after having been returned to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many offenders have been sentenced and imprisoned in the UK after having been returned to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant.

Lord Faulks: This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on the operation of the European Arrest Warrant. These can be found on their website.

Homicide: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether relatives of British nationals murdered abroad are entitled to financial compensation from them, and if so, how much compensation they have paid since 2010.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether relatives of British nationals who have died as a result of terrorism abroad are entitled to financial compensation from them, and if so, how much compensation they have paid since 2010.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether relatives of foreign nationals murdered in the UK are entitled to compensation from them, and if so, how much compensation they have paid since 2010.

Lord Faulks: The Government provides two compensation schemes for victims of crime, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) 2012 and the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme (VOTCS) 2012. Both schemes are administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). The Scheme is designed to compensate blameless victims of violent crime where the incident took place in Great Britain or a “relevant place” as outlined in Annex C of the scheme. Close relatives of a British citizen may also be eligible for compensation under the scheme. Under the Scheme compensation is only available to those who can demonstrate they are ordinarily resident in the UK at the time of the incident or have another defined connection to the UK. In fatal cases, compensation may be awarded to qualifying relatives who also satisfy the Scheme’s residency criteria. The meaning of qualifying relative is outlined in paragraph 59 of the Scheme. The CICA does not keep information on the nationality of the deceased in fatal applications, so we cannot identify the amount of compensation paid. Compensation for relatives of British nationals murdered abroad is not available under the two schemes provided by the Government. UK residents injured as a result of a crime of violence in another country within the European Union (EU) or outside the EU may be able to apply for compensation from that country. The CICA can assist with applications to other EU countries.The VOTCS was introduced to compensate victims of terrorism injured in incidents outside the UK on or after 27 November 2012. A person may be eligible for an award under VOTCS if they sustain a qualifying injury, which is directly attributable to their being a direct victim of a designated terrorist act. Close relatives bereaved as a result of a designated act may also be eligible for an award. The VOTCS applies to the whole of the United Kingdom. Claims under the VOTCS can be made by those who have a clear and sufficient connection to the UK, as evidenced by their residence and citizenship. British, European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens who have been resident in the UK for three years immediately before the designated act may be eligible for an award. Data on the value of awards made under VOTCS from 2013 to 2016 are set in the table below. YearAmount of awards2013£206,6072014£11,2002015£309,5412016£11,000Total£538,348

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect the tribunal charge is having on claims before industrial tribunals, with particular reference to discrimination and equal pay claims.

Lord Faulks: On 11 June we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. This review will consider, so far as is possible, the impact the fees have had on those with protected characteristics who use the Employment Tribunals and the types of case they bring. The review will report in due course.

Ministry of Defence

National Security

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish the results of the review of the UK's National Security Through Technology strategy.

Earl Howe: The Government remains committed to the principles of the National Security Through Technology White Paper, which was reviewed as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. We will work to refresh our defence industrial policy and take further action to help the UK's defence and security industries to grow and compete successfully. We are still considering the form and timing of a refreshed industrial policy.

Minesweepers

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role they are considering for the use of off-board systems as part of the UK's Mine Counter Measures capability.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 8 March 2016 to Question number HL6439, in which I noted that the Royal Navy recognises the operational benefits of unmanned off-board systems. The application of such systems to mine countermeasures capability (MCM) will be included in the Royal Navy's considerations.



QnA extract on Unmanned Marine Vehicles
(Word Document, 14.29 KB)

Gulf War Syndrome

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report from the Boston University School of Public Health in Cortex that research "clearly and consistently" shows that exposure to pesticides and other toxins caused Gulf War Illness; and what bearing that report will have on the treatment of sick Gulf War veterans.

Earl Howe: The Government greatly values the service of all 1990-91 Gulf War veterans. We have long accepted that the ill-health of some veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War may be associated with their service in the Gulf. In such cases, and where a link is proven, compensation may be claimed under the War Pensions Scheme, with appropriate medical care provided by the National Health Service across the UK.The Department has funded extensive research into Gulf War illness including some research into rehabilitative therapies for those veterans with persistent symptoms. Our strategy on research topics and studies has been informed and overseen by independent scientific experts nominated by the Medical Research Council, taking account of published peer-reviewed international literature and international studies. We have no plans to undertake further research on Gulf War issues. We continue to monitor any Gulf War research that is published around the world, including in the United States.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Lord MacKenzie of Culkein: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 October 2015 (HL2638), whether the study into the remuneration package for officers has been completed, and if so, whether they will publish the findings.

Earl Howe: The process of stakeholder engagement to support the study into the remuneration package for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and wider Royal Naval engineering officers is complete. The study report is now being finalised. Once the report is accepted, consideration will be given to its publication, in part or in full.

Human Trafficking: Aegean Sea

Lord Soley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the commander of the NATO operation against people smuggling in the Aegean Sea will have a liaison officer from Frontex with the fleet, and if not, what liaison will take place between that operation and Frontex and other EU border or coastguard agencies.

Earl Howe: NATO and Frontex are finalising joint working and information sharing arrangements, which might include the deployment of Frontex Liaison Officers on board NATO ships. NATO is coordinating at the tactical level with the Turkish and Greek coastguards, and the NATO command ship already has Turkish and Greek military liaison officers on board.

Human Trafficking: Aegean Sea

Lord Soley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action will be taken by the captain of any British ship operating under the auspices of NATO in the Aegean Sea if they identify a migrant or refugee boat in Greek waters.

Earl Howe: Royal Navy assets deployed in support of NATO's activity in the Aegean Sea will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance of illegal crossings. Migrant boats identified will, in the first instance, be reported to the Turkish and Greek coastguards and the EU Frontex mission for interdiction. However, if a migrant vessel was in distress, the Royal Navy ship would provide assistance, in accordance with international obligations.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Local Government Ombudsman

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish their response to the consultation on extending the role of the Local Government Ombudsman to larger parish councils.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are considering the extension of the jurisdiction of the Local Government Ombudsman to larger parish and town councils in the context of the establishment of a single Public Service Ombudsman. It is our intention in the coming months to publish draft legislation making provision for a Public Service Ombudsman, including their jurisdiction, and accordingly we envisage indicating the Government’s response to the consultation when that draft legislation is published.

Community Engagement Forum

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their definition of "community" in relation to the Community Engagement Forum.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In his speech on countering extremism in July 2015, my rt. hon. Friend, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to hear directly from all those in our society who are tackling extremism. The Community Engagement Forum is one of the ways the Prime Minister is doing this. The Forum provides a platform for a wide range of partners to share their experiences and learn from each other. Attendance at the Forum is fluid to ensure Ministers can hear from a wide range of partners. The attendees have been from a wide range of backgrounds and were representatives of all parts of the UK.

Affordable Housing

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people are in need of affordable homes and whether those homes are for rent or to buy.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Department does not publish forecasts of affordable housing need.

HM Treasury

NHS: Scotland

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been passed to the Scottish Government under the Barnett formula for NHS Services in each year since that Government was established; and what proportion of that money was actually spent on NHS services by the Scottish Parliament in each of those years.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of paragraph 16 of the agreement between the Scottish and UK governments on the Scottish fiscal framework, whether there is any obligation on the Scottish Government (1) to spend all or a certain proportion of the money passed to them for NHS services under the Barnett formula on those services; or (2) to account to the Scottish Parliament for not doing so.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether repeated underspending year on year by the Scottish Government of monies passed to them for NHS services under the Barnett formula could be subject (1) to challenge under the Dispute Resolution procedure as set out in paragraphs 98–104 of the agreement between the Scottish and UK Governments on the Scottish fiscal framework or (2) a 2021 review as set out in paragraphs 111–113 of that agreement.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Smith Commission's recommendation that there should be no detriment as a result of UK Government or Scottish Government policy decisions after devolution would be breached if the Scottish Government repeatedly spent monies passed to them for NHS services in accordance with the Barnett formula on other unrelated services.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The mechanical application of the Barnett Formula ensures that the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly receive a population share of changes in UK government funding on the services for which they have devolved responsibility. In accordance with the principles of devolution and the devolution Acts themselves, it is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their funding (from the block grant or taxes/borrowing) to public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and it is for the devolved legislatures to hold them to account. The Scottish Government’s new fiscal framework does not alter this.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme

Viscount Trenchard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the decision of the European Council concerning a new settlement for the UK within the EU, which states that "not all member states have the euro as their currency", means that the Financial Services Compensation reduction of the deposit protection limit from £85,000 to £75,000 will be reversed, and whether in future such fixed sterling amounts will not be subject to amendment according to exchange rate movements.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government has made representations to the European Commission to suggest that the reviews of the Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive coverage level in non-euro states should occur after the Commission completes its review of suitability of the coverage level as a whole and also that changes for non-euro states reflect genuine, very large and lasting changes in exchange rates.

Money Laundering

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the Financial Conduct Authority's oversight of anti-money-laundering regulations in the light of consumer complaints about enforced, unannounced and unexplained closures of bank accounts.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government encourages banks to take a risk based approach in its activities to ensure that measures they take are effective, proportionate and mitigate the risks that they face. In doing so the Government also encourages them to have due regard to financial inclusion. Whilst it would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene in these decisions, individuals are able to request a review of the decision to close their bank account using the bank’s formal complaint procedure and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Financial Services: Islam

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide an update on their policy on Islamic finance in the UK.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government remains committed to developing the UK as a global centre for Islamic Finance. This work includes issuing sovereign Sukuk of £200 million in 2014; adapting the tax regime to remove the major tax barriers to Islamic finance transactions; and UK Export Finance issuing its first ever Sharia-compliant export credit guarantee for a 10-year US$913 million Sukuk that was issued by Emirates Airlines in March 2015. This was used to finance the acquisition of 4 Airbus A380 aircraft.

Financial Services: Islam

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what submissions they have made to the Bank of England's consultation Establishing Shari'ah compliant central bank liquidity facilities.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government has not made any submissions to the Bank of England's consultation: Establishing Shari'ah compliant central bank liquidity facilities.

Financial Services: Islam

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Parliament will be involved in the scrutiny of any proposals for changes to systems of Islamic finance in the UK following the outcome of the Bank of England's consultation.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Bank of England will decide whether or not to establish a Shari’ah compliant liquidity facility in light of feedback to its consultation from the market and other relevant stakeholders. None of the proposals in the consultation are expected to require a change to primary legislation. Once the Bank of England has concluded, the Government will consider whether there is a need for Parliament to review legislation in relation to Islamic Finance in the UK more widely.

Public Finance

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to have balanced the structural deficit excluding capital expenditure.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The measure of the structural deficit that excludes capital is the ‘Cyclically-adjusted current budget’ (CACB). According to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s November 2015 ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’, the CACB is forecast to reach a surplus by 2017-18 of 0.5 per cent of GDP.

Tobacco: Excise Duties

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk that HMRC's current pilot of the Codentify system would give tobacco companies an unfair advantage in any future tender process.

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of HMRC's pilot of the Codentify system, why no other companies or systems have been asked to participate in such a pilot.

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the full costs to date, including staff time, of HMRC's pilot of the Codentify system.

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether HMRC's current pilot of the Codentify system is consistent with their obligations under the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HMRC's current pilot of the Codentify system takes account of any known weaknesses of Codentify for the purpose of authentication.

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the interim results of HMRC's pilot of the Codentify system, when that pilot is due to end, when the final results will be assessed and published, and what benchmarks they have used in that pilot.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes the restrictions in the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) very seriously. These require that the development, implementation and enforcement of tobacco policies as part of public health policies should be protected from the influence of the tobacco industry. Codentify is a system, developed and introduced by the major tobacco manufacturers on their own initiative through the Digital Coding and Tracking Association (DCTA). HMRC played no part in the development or introduction of the system nor did HMRC require that it be introduced. Codentify codes already feature on packs and are there regardless of any HMRC use of them. The trial HMRC is undertaking is to see whether these existing codes could help officers in the field to authenticate products and help tackle illicit tobacco. No other companies currently provide such codes. The use of Codentify by HMRC is not part of an exercise to evaluate the wider use of potential tools available on the market. Any such exercise would be undertaken in the context of the implementation of the EU Tobacco Products Directive track and trace security feature requirements, which will be implemented by May 2019 for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco. The European Commission is still considering, with Member States, proposals for new pan European security features and track and trace systems, and has yet to determine any technical specifications. HMRC are not evaluating Codentify as a track and trace tool or potential security feature; the aspects of the system being used are entirely separate from the requirements of the Directive. The use of Codentify is not a formal pilot and there will not be reports or results to publish. Instead the trial will identify the strengths, weaknesses and usefulness of using Codentify to HMRC as an authentication tool in the field. HMRC will review this later in 2016. Some resource has been spent providing access to the system and training officers in the use of the tool. However, this has been minimal and has not been separately identified. The Department of Health leads on public health policy and has been consulted on this initiative. HMRC sees no conflict between its current use of the Codentify system and FCTC requirements.

Exchange Rates

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the report from UBS predicting that, if the UK left the EU, sterling could hit parity with the euro.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: Britain is stronger, safer and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union. The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G20 concluded that a British exit would cause an economic shock not just to the UK but to Europe and the world. The Treasury will publish a comprehensive analysis of our membership of a reformed EU and the alternatives, including the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit before 23 June. The Government notes wider evidence on an ongoing basis.

Cabinet Office

Local Government: Sanctions

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give guidance to local authorities about the limits on their powers to engage in political boycotts overseas.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether local authorities that engage in foreign boycotts risk acting in breach of the common law as well as the UK's regime of procurement rules.

Lord Bridges of Headley: On 17 February, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) published procurement guidance for public authorities that makes clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government.This new guidance gives no consideration to matters of common law, which is a matter for the courts. However, the guidance makes it clear that local level boycotts can be unlawful and lead to severe penalties against the contracting authority and the Government.

Lobbying: Registration

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lobbying consultancies would need to sign up to the Government's Register of Consultant Lobbyists in order for the Register to be self-funding.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Transparency Act requires that the regulations are set to recover the costs of the Registrar’s activities from the industry via subscription charges. The Register of Consultant Lobbyists is nearing the end of its set-phase but ongoing running costs would still be different from projections. The total annual charge paid by each registering consultant lobbyist increased from £750 to £1000 on 1 January 2016. The Government will keep the funding arrangements for the Register under review.

Lobbying

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to amend the meaning of consultant lobbying to include communications with special advisers, as allowed for in section 2(5) of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Register complements the existing government transparency regime whereby Ministers and Permanent Secretaries proactively publish quarterly details of their meetings with external organisations and individuals. The Government has no plans to increase the scope of the Register. It is usual practice to publish an updated Code of Conduct for Special Advisers after an election. The updated Code, published on 15 October, does not change the role and powers of special advisers.

Lobbying

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to meet the objectives outlined in the Impact Assessment of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 in relation to in-house lobbyists, specifically increasing the transparency of lobbying by opening it up to public scrutiny and increasing public accountability and public trust in the system of Government.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Transparency of Lobbying Act created a statutory register of lobbyists. The Register has increased transparency by requiring that, for the first time, people who are paid to lobby the Government on behalf of others must disclose their clients on a publicly available register. The statutory Register has also enabled the activities of consultant lobbyists to be more effectively scrutinised by requiring lobbyists to declare whether they subscribe to a code of conduct.In addition, the Register of consultant lobbyists complements the Government’s existing transparency commitment to regularly publish details of the meetings of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations and individuals and tackles the problem that it was not always clear whose interests were being represented by “third-party" or consultant lobbyists.The Register does not include in-house lobbyists because it is, by definition, clear who they are working for when their details are published in the list of meetings of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.

Department of Health

Organs: Donors

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many organ donors are registered in each local authority and Parliamentary constituency.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Providing the complete information on the number of people who have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register by local authority and Parliamentary constituency in the main body of this reply would exceed the word limit for responses to written parliamentary questions. The information is therefore in the attached table.  



NHS Organ Donor Register Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 121 KB)

Autism: Young People

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of recent public concerns, they will ask NHS England to review the number and distribution of specialised secure facilities for adolescents with autism to ensure a better balance between total and geographical clinical demand and supply.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England requires that regular Care and Treatment Reviews are undertaken for children and young people with learning disabilities with challenging behaviour in inpatient settings commissioned by NHS England or clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). These Care and Treatment Reviews also help to inform the appropriate provision of treatment and care settings. CCGs are currently also developing learning disability transformation plans to ensure the appropriate balance of capacity between in-patient settings and community settings. The plans are due for submission in April 2016.